The Spawn of Jabberywocky
by Sybil Syx
Summary: Alice and her sister go on a new adventure. : Spin off of Alice In Wonderland and Adventure of Alice in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass.
1. Prologue

Sharp teeth dug into soft flesh beneath a cold cloud covered moon, a single last shriek filled the still air before collapsing back into the nothingness it was sheer seconds before it started. The scent of blood was ripe in the air.

"Hello, Alice, welcome to Wonderland."

The girl woke with a start, her hair in her eyes and tears on her face. _What just happened?_ She ran her fingers through her short hair and squeezed her eyes closed momentarily; recovering from the terror she'd just woken from.

"Al!" A call rang up to the girl, "Are you coming?"

"Yeah! I'm coming Lori!" Alice called back, swinging her legs from her bed and dressing quickly in a bright red tee shirt and white shorts.

She then proceeded to skip down the stairs to meet her sister, well, her best friend who she claimed was her sister. Lorina Liddell was a tall girl with brown ringlets and bright blue eyes and a giggle that mimicked a child's but she was also very smart and very deep if you were to gain her trust. Lorina was wearing a bright orange shirt with a picture of a Labrador retriever on the front and jeans.

"Hi." Alice said, grinning maniacally and pulling mismatched knee high socks over her feet.

Lorina smiled and giggled, "Hi."

Alice laughed and straightened, having achieved her goal in putting her socks on, "I just woke up, and I'll be a second. K…"

Lorina snapped, "I hate it when you call me Lori! Its sounds so snobbish!"

The smaller girl laughed again, "Sorry Liddy, I won't do it again."

Lorina smiled, "Okay. Now go get ready before I drag you to the car by your hair!"

Alice ran away, glancing back as she made her way to the bathroom and cackling all the way. Once down the hall and in the bath she brushed her teeth and combed her short, dyed black hair. She didn't bother showering but pulled her shoulder length hair back into a bun and pulled a hat over it. Then she stooped and pulled her black shiny steel toed babies from beneath the sink and slipped her feet into them and laced the leather tongues in place.

She left the bathroom looking like a perfect freak, which was her goal of course. And Liddy met her at the end of the hall, smiling at her younger counterpart as she started for the door.

"Gosh you're weird, Al." Lorina said, rolling her eyes, "Where're we going?"

"I don't know," Alice said, popping a butterscotch disc in her mouth and sliding it over her teeth before pushing it against her cheek and saying, "I guess to tell the others that we lost the game."

Liddy threw her arms up, "Al!"

Both laughed and they walked to the car and climbed in.

Some worlds away another creature fell to the ground writhing in agony as needled teeth and blades ripped through soft flesh.


	2. Little Kitten Kat

The two girls were soon pulling into a gravel drive way, the car shaking and bouncing as the tires hit small pot holes. Once at the old crooked house they slammed the doors and let their presence be known. A face appeared in the top floor window, blonde hair and bright blue eyes were gazing down.

"They're here!" A shout rang through the house, muffled to the girls as they waited, somewhat impatiently, on the front stoop.

The door creaked open and a boy with dirty blonde short curly hair and a width that could threaten or amuse anyone stood in the doorway. His eyes were flecked of silvers and grays and gold and blue and mild greens, soft and inviting but reflecting scars.

"Hey." He said grinning, and looking tired in the light of the early morning.

"Hi there!" Al greeting happily, throwing her arms around the boy's stomach and nuzzling her nose into his side.

"Move fatty!" Liddy greeting with false harshness and a small smirk, her bright blue eyes sparkling with glints and specks of white and sliver and shades of sky.

The boy grinned and stepped aside, "Anything for you."

Al released him and pranced into the room, eyeing everyone before announcing, "I lost the game!"

Everyone reeled and cried out curses and threw her false looks of hatred and spite before laughing and shaking their heads, returning to their previous occupations. It was early Saturday and the sky was dark still. But in this place, full of broken souls Al found a peace with her friends, who she claimed, excluding one, as her siblings.

In the first floor there was Celeste, who had wide hips, wide eyes, and thin framed glasses, naturally brown and dyed red hair. Her eyes a tone of silver and blue. Her hands were twined with Al's closest brother's, with wild red curly hair that fell to his shoulders and had a tendency to mat to his head if he was too lazy to comb it, which was often. His eyes were green and gray and golden, diamonds forming shades and falls of color in his eyes, hidden behind glasses. Then there was Priscilla, with beautiful brown eyes, hips that every boy watched move when she walked, and highlighted brown hair that was cut around her face perfectly.

Al and Liddy moved through the first floor living room where these three were and Ralus followed them, the boy who'd greeted them at the door. In the kitchen there was Grace, that they all called Gracie because she was too kind and funny for such a "fragile" name as Grace. She had chestnut brown hair and perfect brown eyes. Beside Grace was a boy with a round face, dark blue eyes, and short blonde hair. Al smiled at seeing this boy and moved forward to hug him. She was level with his shoulder and rested her head on his chest listening to the light pump of his heart as he laced his arms around her.

"Hey, you stupid emo," Liddy bubbled, "Hi Gracie."

"Hi, Liddy!" Gracie replied rolling onto her toes and letting her arms float out from her sides.

"Hey Liddy," The blonde boy, named Xavier, replied smiling.

Alice nuzzled her head into his chest, "I lost the game you guys."

Liddy giggled as Gracie and Xavier cursed.

Al pulled her boyfriend out of the kitchen and to the staircase. Xavier followed without argument.

"How did you sleep last night?" He asked as they made their way up to the second floor.

Al frowned, "I had a weird dream. Nightmares like always, but there were these weird creatures."

She trailed off having an unsettling feeling that somewhere far away a few weird creatures were tearing into something new under a sun that was just rising.

* * *

><p>Kat grinned at her companion, "So we took down how many?"<p>

"Seven I believe." The man replied, his hair a dark velvety purple, his eyes were burning a bright orange and his head was topped with a short, crushed in, navy top hat with a silver edge.

"Excellent!" The girl grinned; her hair was striped horizontally bright blue and steely gray and her eyes were a light shimmering violet, her pupils were slanted slits.

The man in the turquoise waist coat and gray pinstriped suit jacket and slacks smiled back at the girl. The cuff links that he was fastening on the cuffs of his clean white button down shirt were bright vivid lavender. He removed his crumpled hat carefully and ran his forefinger and thumb, pinched together, along the shining sliver edge of his hat before replacing it on his head, then removing a clean white handkerchief and wiping his bloody fingertips on the cloth.

The girl's ears flicked down atop her head, pointed and covered in purple fur, the blue streaks of her hair being dyed in. She grinned her sharp teeth at the man in a mischievous manner, then threw her arms straight up and spun in a circle and letting her loose tattered skirts fly around her knees. The dress she wore was merely strips of tattered clothe that she'd sewn to the original dress she'd had when she'd arrived there. The skirt was orange, grey, purple, blue, red, and yellow and the fabric didn't repeat. The top of the dress that covered her breast to her stomach was white, and anything but clean. Her pale shoulders were covered by a thin strip of violently green strip of silk she had sewn into a cardigan.

The man was rumpled head to toe, every inch of his clothing was crumpled, but somehow he still looked clean cut, not a spot of dirt on him. His shoes were bright and shiny black and even though the pair tread through the grasses and dirt in the middle of the wilderness there wasn't a spot on his shoes. He smiled at the child that skipped and spun through the woods.

"Kat, tell me again, why must we kill them?" He asked suddenly.

"Well, Hatta, we kill them so they don't kill us. They weren't too happy when we killed their mother were they?" She laughed.

The Hatter smiled wider his eyes searching the jubilant girl's face, "Kat, can you remember the story I told you of how the Jabberwocky was ended?"

_"`Twas brillig and the slithy toves_  
><em>did gyre and gimble in the wabe:<em>  
><em>All mimsy were the borogoves,<em>  
><em>and the mome raths outgrabe<em>." Kat sang out, giving a false bravado voice.

The Hatter laughed, "_"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!_  
><em>The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!<em>  
><em>Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun<em>  
><em>the frumious<em> _Bandersnatch!"_"

"_He took his vorpal sword in hand:_  
><em>Long time the manxome foe he sought<em>," Kat thrust an invisible sword into the air and ran a ways,  
>"<em>So rested he by the Tumtum tree,<em>  
><em>And stood awhile in thought<em>." She then feigned fatigue and placed a hand to her forehead.

Hatter made to recite the next stanza but Kat leapt in, "_And, as in uffish thought he stood,_  
><em>The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,<em>  
><em>Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,<em>  
><em>And burbled as it came!<em>"

The Hatter laughed aloud and continued, "_One, two! One, two! And through and through_  
><em>the vorpal blade went snicker-snack!<em>  
><em>He left it dead, and with its head<em>  
><em>He went galumphing back.<em>"

The young girl jumped into the air as if she'd just beaten some foe and then continued in an elderly man's voice, "_"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?_  
><em>Come to my arms, my beamish boy!<em>  
><em>O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"<em>  
><em>He chortled in his joy.<em>"

`Twas_ brillig, and the slithy toves_  
><em>did gyre and gimble in the wabe;<em>  
><em>All mimsy were the borogoves,<em>  
><em>and the mome raths outgrabe<em>." The two finished together, Kat laughing and The Hatter shaking his head at his ward.

Kat laughed and dancing in circles, her hands out at her sides and her skirts flying up and out to make her look like a dancing fairy. The Hatter shook his head again and laughed allowed.

"Come here, kitten," The Hatter said softly, crouching and placing the fingertips of his right hand against the forest floor.

Kat approached him and collapsed onto his back, lacing her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. The Hatter hooked his arms under her knees and stood, letting her sleep as he trekked back home.


	3. Goodnight Morning

The Hatter nudged the door to their hovel of a home that was more than comfortable and stepped inside the small round room. The house itself was made of a tree, one of the great trees that grew so magnificently huge that they could live in its stump quiet comfortably, and the tree itself, having been knocked over by Jabberwocky long ago was still outside the home and still served as a great supply of firewood and entertainment for Kat. The splintered edges that had topped stump were chopped off first by the Hatter himself and he had used the jagged pieces to build a half fence around the front and only entrance. The splinters were several feet taller than the Hatter but that never bothered him, nor did it faze him. He went about the work without complaint or issue.

He had also hollowed out the inside of the stump so that they had living quarters. The room was separated into three parts, a kitchen and living area, a bathroom, and the bedroom that Kat and Hatter shared. The bathroom was rather small and was mainly a shower, a sink, and a toilet. The bedroom was divided between the two, two wardrobes, two beds – one a normal queen sized bed and one a cat bed that was over stuffed and covered in feathers and bells and pillows, and a vanity that Kat alone used. The living room was the largest room in the home since it doubled as a kitchen as well. It held a kitchen table, chairs scattered about randomly, and a wide mahogany wardrobe with locks and chains wrapped thickly around the handles.

The Hatter took his ward into their shared bedroom and turned his back to the bed and eased her small frame down onto his mattress. When he stepped away from her she curled into a ball and nuzzled her nose into her hands. Hatter stepped back and looked at the girl before deciding that he wouldn't wake her.

He moved carefully across the room to his wardrobe, undressing and changing into blue silk pajamas. He left his hat carefully perched on his head. Then he moved back to the edge of the bed where Kat had made herself comfortable. She had let one leg fall off of the bed and was stretched over the bottom half of the bed. Her tattered dress was covered in blood and in the new and much brighter light was fairly obviously so.

The man's previous decision to let her sleep on was void at seeing her state, so he nudged her awake, "Kat, darling, wake up. Wake up, Kat."

She groaned and rolled over, her blue and slate colored hair falling over her face.

"Kat, get up, you're getting blood on the sheets." The Hatter persisted, smiling and kneeling on the bed, taking his ward in his arms and pulling her into his lap.

She nuzzled into his neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He laced his arms under her thighs and pulled her up as he stood.

"I'm going to get you cleaned up, okay Kat?" He continued, knowing she was tired from hunting all night and knowing that if he didn't get the blood cleaned up there would be trouble.

She merely mumbled, "Hatta," and allowed him to carry her into the bathroom through one of the two doors, one door also parallel to the living room, and sit her limply on the edge of the sink.

She was leaning against his chest and he moved her hair and unbuttoned the back of her dress, pulling the multicolored material over her head. He kept one arm wrapped around her waist, moving from above her outer clothes to beneath as he pulled the dress off. She had white shorts on beneath the dress and a white undershirt. He then picked her up once again and laid her limp figure in the bathtub, for lack of space anywhere else and urgency to clean away the blood.

He turned the water in the sink on and washed away the blood residue from her clothing as quickly as he could, then wet a rag and cleaned her legs and arms. After completing the task as quickly as he could he rinsed the rag as clean as possible, washed the sink, and dampened the rag and Kat's clothes with antiseptic.

Then he picked Kat up again, not being too comfortable with holding her while she was what he considered indecent. He took her back into the bedroom and laid her out on his bed again, then went to her wardrobe and picked carefully, uneasily, through her things. He found a night gown of a dark crimson for her and took it back to her.

"Do you want to dress yourself or are you going to make _me_ do that too?" He asked her sleeping figure fairly bitterly.

She smiled in her half sleep and held her arms up for him to slip the gown over her head. At her gesture he laughed slightly and picked her back up from the bed so she was sitting up and dressed her in the gown that hit at just her knees.

Kat then took her arms and wrapped them tightly around the Hatter's waist and squeezed him. The Hatter was mildly surprised at her random show of affection, though she usually had random bursts of affection that she displayed quite openly toward him.

"I love you Hatta." She mumbled quietly, nuzzling her head into his chest and flattening her furry ears to her head.

This shocked him, and his mouth opened for a moment and remained gaped before his reply slipped past his lips, "I love you too Kat."

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" She asked squeezing his waist tighter and clasping her fingers around her wrists.

He didn't reply, but he pulled her arms off of his waist. Her sleepy eyes opened, looking dismayed at having to sleep far away in the cold corner where her bed was. But he knelt, hooked his arm beneath her knees, and slid her across the bed.

"Of course you can, Kat, but I always sleep on this side." He answered in his usually quirky rise and fall rhythm.

She smiled and let her eyes close again. She curled up into a ball and fell asleep purring gently. The Hatter lay down beside her, flicking the light off and removing his hat. He hesitated a moment and then placed his hat very gently on Kat's head.

In the darkness, the Hatter pretended to have his eyes closed and not to be smiling at the young girl that grinned a sharp toothed grin. The lavender reflection of her eyes winked in the dim light and her teeth shown before she closed her lips and pressed them against his temple.

"Goodnight Kat." The Hatter said quietly, wondering what had inspired the girl to kiss him because she'd certainly never done it before.

"Good _Morning_," She corrected, rolling the next word over in her mouth before saying it aloud, "Dad."


	4. The Littlest One

Xavier was laid out on a mattress that served as a bed to anyone who needed somewhere to stay. This house was home to most everyone that needed somewhere to go. He'd slept in this room last night and this was only one of a dozen room dedicated to anyone and everyone who needed it. Al was leaned against the end of the mattress lacing, unlacing, and lacing her boots over and over.

"I hate my parents." He said, stretching his arms up.

Alice laughed, "I do too."

Xavier raised his head, "You hate _my _parents or yours?"

She laughed, "I hate mine. But you're parents are worthy of my hate as well."

Someone knocked at the door, which was unreasonable since the door was open. Alice looked over at the doorway and smiled at her brother who stood in the hall. He grinned like an idiot and moved into the room.

"You didn't say anything to me you little…" He started.

Alice laughed and cut him off, "Hey Birdman."

He stopped at about the center of the room and held his arms apart, "What? No hug?"

Al shook her head and stood up. Her brother was twice her height and had to kneel to hug her. When she wrapped her arms around his neck he laced his around her waist and stood and squeezed until it sounded as if her spine had shattered. Then he dropped her and she threw a punch before he laughed and shoved her back.

Celeste was standing in the door waiting for her boyfriend to rejoin her, "We're leaving now. So I'll see you later. K, Al?"

"K! Have fun, you two!" Alice giggled, "I'll see you later."

The pair left in an instant but Alice still stood smiling at what appeared to be an empty doorway.

"You can come out now." She giggled again.

A small round face peaked around the corner. Bright green eyes smiled at Alice but the lips were frozen in the same disheartened illustration. Alice knelt down, one knee bent and resting lightly on the floor, and one knee up and ready to send her flying forward. She raised one arm and grinned.

"Come here you little punk." She laughed the words out.

The hiding child went flying towards her, though he didn't throw his arms up as if to embrace her, he held them down as if to protect himself. He crashed into her and she rocked back on her haunches. The child was crying, his dark hair in his eyes and his sobs as silent as a mute.

Alice pulled the boy up and wrapped her arms around him, falling back until she lay completely against the floor. The boy hid his face in her neck and kept his arms against his body, only touching her shoulders with his hands. Alice, however, was much more comfortable with clutching the child close and didn't care if he didn't like being touched. Somewhere she believed the kid liked her touch, and everyone else who knew the pair was certain of the fact that Alice was the only one the child was comfortable being clutched by.

Xavier leaned up and smiled at his girl, lying on the floor squeezing the life out of a six year old boy who was crying his eyes out. Finally the boy pushed at her, letting her know she was holding too tightly and he wanted away. She released him, and, unlike what he would do with anyone else, he stayed in her lap and sulked and rubbed at his red puffy eyes.

"Hey Midnight," Xavier laughed, "You want me to go get you something to drink?"

The boy looked up and nodded swiftly. Alice feigned pouting.

The older boy rolled his eyes and agreed to get them both something to drink. Xavier left the room and Midnight's head did a 360 looking back and forth and back again for anyone else before his lips turned up, dry and almost splitting with the effort. He smiled.

Alice grabbed the young child's face and kissed him square on the nose. The child giggled at this and shook his head like a dog would to rid her hands from his face.

"So what's up, kitten?" Alice asked, pushing the boy back until he sat on her knees.

He shook his head and said nothing. Alice frowned at him and crossed her arms.

"If nothing's up then why'd you come all the way here?" She inquired, narrowing her eyes at him.

He spread his hand, palm out and touched his thumb to the center of his forehead then moved his hand down to touch the center of his head. _Man._ Then he turned his hands and tapped his index fingers together twice with the rest of his fist closed. He held this poise for a moment, his fingertips apart. Then he repeated the action, tapping them together twice. _Hurt. _Then he pointed his thumb at himself, a basic sign that Alice didn't have to think about to understand. _Me._

"Who?" Alice asked, suddenly dismayed, "What man?"

He jabbed his thumb at himself again. _My. _Then he held his hand, fingers open, thumb toward himself, at his forehead, just off center. _Dad_.

Alice reached out and pulled him close, squeezing him tightly, "It'll be alright. How does it feel?"

He touched his lips then flipped his palm down, flat in front of him. _Bad. _

She frowned, "Can I see?"

He held his fist up and bent it at the wrist, as if nodding yes with his hand. _Yes._

He moved back then, sitting in the floor away from her and beginning to unbutton his shirt. Once he'd done that he let it slid off of his arm to reveal a dark bruise the size of a man's palm.

Alice looked at his face for confirmation before touching the bruise gently. She brushed her fingertips gently against the bruise on his upper arm and frowned.

"How can I help?" She asked softly.

He held up his hand in front of his chest with his index fingers out and swatted his left finger with his right, his left hand remaining quite still with the force he'd used to sign the word _can't_.

She relented and pulled his shirt back over his arm and buttoned it back for him. Then she frowned at him and held her arms open. He lurched forward violently and clutched her tightly around the neck. She leapt up and swung him in a fast circle before pulling her arms from her neck and throwing him high into the air.

He burst into laughter and wrapped himself tightly around her when she caught him again and held him close, swaying back and forth with the hum of the music she sighed out. He grinned and buried his smile in the flesh of her neck, breathing in the smell of human flesh that housed a heart that loved him.

"Might Midnight, it's all you need. Crying makes you mighty. Don't ever let it weaken you." Alice whispered in his ear, swaying with the boy she wished was hers.

He nuzzled his face into her neck and let the grin fade into a smile and linger a while longer on his pale rosin lips. Soon he fell asleep and Xavier returned to find Alice in the center of the room swaying with the dozing child.

The older boy mouthed the question "Is he asleep?" and Alice nodded and pressed a finger to her lips to sign that he should stay quiet and let the child sleep longer. Xavier smiled and put the drinks in the floor beside the mattress where he'd been laying and knelt beside the bed and gestured to her that he could tuck the kid in. She shook her head and shooed him out with a flick of her fingers. Xavier stood, shaking his head and smiling, kissed Alice and left the room again followed by the soft singing of a lullaby.

Downstairs Liddy was sitting with Ralus and Gracie who was kicking her feet back and forth while she sat on the table. Xavier hopped down the stairs and made a weird noise to great the others before plopping down next to Gracie. Liddy rolled her eyes and made a sarcastic remark about his awkwardness in social life before laughing. The four of them were talking idly before Priscilla entered the room and wrapped her arms around Xavier's waist.

In false alarm Xavier joked, "Whoa! Whoa! My girlfriend is right upstairs, Jewelz, wait until later tonight, alright?"

Priscilla joked back and growled at him before laughing and letting go. She moved to the fridge in the kitchen that they sat in and grabbed a coke can.

"Where's Little One?" Liddy asked, tilting her head childishly.

"Upstairs napping with Even Littler One," Xavier laughed, "Midnight turned up crying and is wrapped all around her. He's cried himself to sleep."

Priscilla frowned, "I feel bad for that little boy. I've never heard his voice. Not once!"

Ralus shrugged, "I don't think he has one honestly."

Liddy shook her head, "No, he's not a medical mute. He's a mute by choice. I've heard him whisper to Al before."

"What's he sound like?" Gracie asked softly, looking quite intent of the topic of the little boy.

Liddy laughed and said teasingly, "Well Grace, I'd figure he sounds like a little boy, don't you?"

Gracie frowned and Liddy continued, "Well I've never actually heard him talk aloud! I've just heard them whisper back and forth. He sounds like a normal little boy, just a little hoarse, you know? From not talking as much as he should, I guess."

Jewelz shrugged, "Well he sure is cute either way."

They all laughed and Ralus asked, "Is Al asleep too or is she just holding Midnight?"

"Just holding Midnight, you know she doesn't sleep good." Xavier said.

He nodded in reply and said, "I'm going to go check on them, alright?"

The others let him go without argument and he proceeded to climb the stairs to the room where Xavier had slept. When he'd wound down the hall and found her with her back to the door and swaying contently he entered without announcing himself. She was singing quietly and he decided he'd lean against the wall and listen to her sing for a while.

Her words were soft and low, deeper pitched than he'd think for a girl her size and with her voice, but it was decent singing nonetheless. She sang indistinct words and mostly was hums of sort that lulled the small boy. They had a rhythm to them that was fairly clear after a few seconds and sounded like a song by System of a Down slowed down and dropped an octave.

The bright green eyes suddenly shot open as Ralus shifted against the wall, trying to catch a glimpse of the singing girl's face before he let her know he was there. Midnight pulled away from Alice and immediately wanted down from her grasp.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Al said softly.

Midnight let out a growl that shocked Alice and Ralus both, a deep guttural growl that shook his entire body and made him look fierce even though his features were small and adorable.

"Midnight!" Al cried out, confused and afraid of the boy's actions.

He'd gone red-faced and was obviously angry. He squirmed out of her arms and landed nimbly on the floor and made a start to the boy by the door who was too shocked to do anything to defend himself.

The small child ran forward and punched the teenager in the knee and shouted the first words he's ever spoken above a whisper, "_She's mine!_"


	5. Mad as A Hatter

Ralus squatted to the boy's level and cried, "That hurt you little…!"

Alice cut him off before he could finish the insult and cried out, "Ralus! Why were you watching us?!"

"I was about to say something to get your attention! I didn't want to wake the kid up!" Ralus said harshly.

The boy's rage was gone and he was afraid now and scrambled, falling over himself, back to Alice with a bloody red blush in his cheeks. Midnight tucked himself behind Alice's legs and nuzzled his nose into her thigh.

"He saw me before I could say anything! And what'd he hit me for anyway?" Ralus continued angrily.

The child made a quick sign, _she's mine_, and clutched Alice's legs tighter.

Alice grinned at the boy and then looked up at Ralus, "He's protective. He thought you were trying to sneak up on me to hurt me, didn't you Midnight?"

Midnight nodded swiftly, hiding his face behind Alice's knees. Ralus's anger softened at that a bit and spoke to the child directly.

"I wouldn't hurt her, ever." Ralus said to console the boy, "Alice is my best friend."

Midnight shifted away from behind Alice's knees and snapped suddenly, "Then why were you hiding there?!"

"I already told you. I was about to get her attention but I didn't have time to say anything." Ralus repeated.

Midnight shook his head furiously, "No! You lie!"

Ralus looked angry at the accusation and the child took back in fear. The older boy softened at the fear filled green eyes and sighed in defeat.

"I was listening to her sing, alright kid?" He admitted, knowing the child was aware of more than most adults were.

Midnight looked pleased with that answer and purred, "She sings pretty, don't she?" And he nuzzled his nose into her thigh.

Ralus smiled slightly up at Al, "Yeah."

She snorted and rolled her eyes, squatting down and sliding her arms back around the child before standing and holding an arm up for a hug from Ralus. The boy shook his head and stood to hug her, wrapping an arm around her waist and picked her up off the floor gently. Then the dark haired child did something else unexpected.

Midnight flung his arms around Ralus's neck before making a kind of shocked sound at himself and drawing back to hide himself in Alice's flesh. Ralus drew back from the hug and gave the child a curious smile before stepping back.

"You two want something to eat? I'm about to head out for something in a little while." He said, tilting his head to the side and opening his arms at the offer in an almost childish way.

"Sure!" Alice responded immediately.

The child hesitated, "But I've got no money."

The pair laughed and Alice hoisted the foolish child higher on her hip before pushing Ralus toward the door with a palm against his chest.

The purring kitten on The Hatter's chest woke him up when she decided to flick her tail against his face. He woke up with the teenage girl completely on him, her head on his shoulder and her body curled up, most of her resting on his torso like any kitten would. He groaned with the bruises she twitched against and he pulled the girl off of him by her arms, touching her gently so as not to wake her. Once her body was off of his he made to leave the bed but the sleeping child lashed out and grabbed him close. Her bright eyes flicked open and she flicked the hat off her head and twirled the brim between her fingers.

The Hatter jumped, "Kat! Be careful!"

"What? Think I'm gonna cut myself on your favorite weapon?" She asked teasingly, flicking the hat into the air and catching it with her palm open and her fingers brushing the inside of the cap, "Take your hat, you look foolish without it."

He took the hat from her hands and flicked it up, flipping it in the air before it fell on his head and he grinned insanely at the girl who he had about ten years on.

She purred and flattened her ears to her head, prowling a circle before lying back down and dozing off. The Hatter stroked her hair once before leaving the bedside and going to his wardrobe. Glancing back a few times he made sure the girl wasn't watching before he removed a hat box from a locked drawer and pranced with it out the door to the living room. He took himself to the kitchen table and pulled up a chair.

After triple-checking that Kat was asleep he pulled another chair against the wardrobe that was locked shut and pulled a sewing kit, sewing machine and cloth, off the top of the wardrobe. He returned the hat box and pulled a hat, a perfect minute top hat that would fit Kat perfectly. It was blue and green with a purple sash about the middle, resting against the brim and lashing over the side. There was only a final touch before he was done with the outfit he'd made her to celebrate the upcoming holiday. The hat was going to have a rose he'd taken and had preserved by some of the creatures living in the friendly part of the wood sewn to the hat's brim so that she could have a rose that never came out of bloom. The rose in question, also never remained the same color. When he'd first plucked it, it was a brilliant blood red, but faded to a pink almost instantly. The Hatter had believed he'd killed the flower and was appalled, but then it blossomed into a dark blue. After some time with holding the flower he realized the flower adjusted its tone to the mood of whoever held it. He'd decided it to be perfect for Kat because of its brilliance and because it might possibly help him decipher the teenager's intentions before she did something off the wall – which often frightened the mentally ill man.

To go with this hat, he had made her a dress for a ball that the Queen was hosting. This holiday wasn't one by will, but they enjoyed it nonetheless. The dress in question was white silk at the bust, with a purple bow that separated it from the skirt that held multiple tones of blue, purple, and green fabric that hit the floor on the left side but was split up her leg on the left. The split in the skirt had a piece of metallic silver cloth beneath it so her skin wouldn't be exposed to the cold, except for her knee down. It looks like water almost, and caught the light and shimmered when it moved. The Hatter thought it would be magnificent when she danced.

He'd made her shoes as well, even though she despised shoes. The shoes were soft soled, and he'd made sure they wouldn't pinch her toes. They were blue with green shimmering shells on the toes, with purple laces that would wind up her legs.

He smiled at his work, knowing his ward would look like a mermaid or some other water bound creature in the colors he'd picked for her. He wondered though if she'd be comfortable in the sleeveless gown, or if she'd insist on wearing the tattered, dirty cardigan she almost always wore.

The Queen forced all of them to come, using the spawn of her wicked Jabberwocky to enforce it. The ball was to celebrate her birthday, and even though they all hated her, the socialization wasn't too horrid. Kat dreaded going, but Hatter always made sure she had a good time and ate and danced.

Although the Jabberwocky was killed, the Queen still ruled harshly. She had other creatures that enforced her renewed rise to power. The Queen needed to be killed, as well as the spawn of the Jabberwocky. But the Hatter couldn't attempt to kill the Queen, especially when he was responsible for Kat. Killing the Jabbywockers, what Kat called the minute dragons, was risky enough for them both.

Soon, the Hatter replaced his surprise, and returned to bed. Thinking too hard was bad for someone as mad as this hatter.


End file.
